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Samara Schwartz

Samara's CSEM Journal

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A Neat Little thing for the procrastination issue

Try adopting this motto as you wade through your final papers and exams:

I would if I could, but I can't, so I won't.

It was one of my grandmother's favorite expressions, and you can apply it to just about anything. Especially weeks of work and stress like these!

Reflection Article

The past, the present, and the future: Memories and aspirations of a C-Sem by Samara Schwartz Sage Staff '05

One of the things I love most about Bryn Mawr is its rich sense of history.

I would venture to guess that Mawrtyrs who read the above sentence would most likely remark that it conjures up images of the "special" spots on campus -- the Cloisters, Senior Row, Pem Arch, Senior Steps, and locations of traditions-related events. They may also reflect on our Self-Governing Association, the oldest in the nation, or on our school's identity as one of the Seven Sisters.

However, a "rich sense of history," does not necessarily require decades of participation and appreciation in order to develop; it is something that we can cultivate now and witness the growth and success of in the near future.

I first learned about the C-Sem Weaving the Web over a dinner conversation last March. A good friend of mine had taken it when she was a second-semester sophomore and offered only glowing remarks. She spoke of the class structure, and how it was unlike any other that she had experienced in her four years at Bryn Mawr -- the opportunity to have a group of approximately fifteen people function as the editorial board for a web magazine. She talked about the excitement of generating enthusiasm on campus for the start of a new publication. And she was proud to add that some members of the class had been so motivated that they continued the online magazine for a semester after their C-Sem requirement had been completed.

It seemed too good to be true. And what luck that it should be offered for a second time during the exact semester when I wanted to tackle my second C-Sem!

My friend did not lie. Everything that she told me about her class' web magazine, "Orbit," was true for this new generation of Weaving the Web-bers, as well. C-Sem quickly became my favorite class this semester; unlike other classes in which the professor chooses the material to discuss, the ball was in our court to decide what issues we felt were prevalent and how we wanted to spend class time -- i.e. our meetings. As soon as we had a name and a logo after the heavily advertised date of our first posting, October 3, 2002, I stopped calling this class "C-Sem," and began referring to it as "Sage" -- stripping it of any resemblence to the oft-dreaded requirement and literally putting it in a class of its own, where this gem of a course belongs.

And still, as I smile and review our most recent issue, one of the comments that my friend from Orbit made continues to bother me. Playing with the frayed rim of her worn white hat adorned with the screenprinted Orbit logo, she told me that as much fun as she had with her web magazine, it disappointed her that it did not live longer than one year. After all, launching a web magazine is a labor of love -- and lots of promotion -- and that's only the beginning. Next comes its maintenance, which requires the formation of a club -- a group of people to nurture it and encourage its evolution and transformation.

Unfortunately, Orbit never made this transition. This year's Sage staff is currently at the same crossroads where our predecessors three years ago stood. Deepak has already made it clear to us that he will be more than happy to lend his computer savvy to the magazine's staff to ensure its survival, especially in its early stages. It is now up to us to decide our level of commitment to this semester-long project and to open ourselves up to the community and welcome others to join.

Though Orbit may no longer exist at the address "orbit.brynmawr.edu," which I had the good fortune of visiting last year before the entire site was disabled, it is far from gone in terms of this campus' memory. True, the generation that remembers Orbit is getting older; this year's seniors -- who were freshmen during Orbit's glory days -- are the only resident Mawrtyrs left who can recall the site having an active staff. Even so, mentioning the words "Weaving the Web" to a member of the Class of 2003 will probably yield a response that goes something like, "Wait...isn't that the same C-Sem that started Orbit?"

If you look closely enough, remnants of Orbit advertising remain, as well. In a recent Sage meeting, one of our staff members pointed out that, as she went to place a "Sage" decal on a bathroom mirror in Denbigh, she came across an "Orbit" decal. It had been affixed there by another Mawrtyr three years ago -- another Mawrtyr who had been influential in creating and launching a web magazine.

History has a way of repeating itself, and the idea that Sage may be remembered with fondness by this year's freshmen when they are ready to graduate brings a smile to my face similar to the one that traced my lips when I typed "sage.brynmawr.edu" for the first time and saw our class' work appear before my eyes, for the rest of the world to see.

It is my hope, though, that this semester's frosh will do more than just remember Sage three years from now. I want them to be able to visit it. After every update.

If you are interested in participating, please write to us at wtw@cs.brynmawr.edu. We need you to help us develop this rich sense of history -- today.

Guest Writer's Article: Alicia Zukas!!!

Two generations, one common purpose: Thoughts from Orbit to Sage By Alicia Zukas '02 Guest Columnist

I hope that I am not the first person you have ever heard say that her College Seminar had the greatest impression on her.

Orbit integrated the fundamentals of every language, science, and literature class I had taken. My C-Sem made me think on a new order of magnitude.

I saw that my writing transformed from a two-dimensional scrollable document to a living form of three-dimensional expression. Many of you are experiencing the same metamorphosis in Sage. You have even embraced the concept of a dynamic web magazine with a wide variety of interactive features and digital imaging.

My first contribution to Orbit consisted of music polls and articles about Instant Messenger addiction. Throughout the semester, the class was introduced to the history of the web, its purpose, and how Bryn Mawr and the outside world interacted through the latest technological features like Napster and Instant Messenger. However, it was not until the very end of the semester that I actually embraced what I was learning and started thinking in this abstruse web language. Hyperlinking became a must, and I needed digital photography and sound bytes to complement my pieces.

Orbit was exciting, and even controversial. As May Day was approaching, I was enlightened about the May Day band weeks before formal announcement. In advance, I created an article to be launched on the disclosure date that would feature this band accompanied by permissable soundbytes. This was intended to excite Bryn Mawr about the band, not create gossip. I still have the threatening letters that I received from members of the college banning my link. I never did get to post my information. It was delightful to see based on your letters to the editors, people are reading Sage and no one has forbade your columns. I am still curious to read the columnists' responses to the letters, as Sage has introduced a forum which did not have to end with a single letter.

In my life after Bryn Mawr, I continue to work with computers. My knowledge of Russian or German has not been useful in the laboratory or my classes, but the very basic computer lingo I had learned in Orbit has been a necessity. I hope you continue your studies of technology as well as this forum for accepting all forms of writing.

Alicia Zukas '02

Articles for 12/8

Brainstorming/Work in Progress

  1. My questionnaire about Bryn Mawr traditions/Bryn Mawr facts.

  2. Need to get Traditions book from Emily Friedman to finish writing survey.

  3. Plan: Finish survey by end of this week, have everything ready to go and be put up with the Thanksgiving Issue.

Other ideas:

  1. Decorating dorms/rooms for the holidays

  2. Where do you like to study? Best places on campus.

  3. How technology-savvy is Bryn Mawr?